Youth
Horse of the Month Winners - 2006
Sponsored by Breyer Animal Creations
December
TIME ZONE+//
Many riders share an inexplicable bond of friendship with their equine friends. Not only is it a bond of friendship, but it is also a bond of trust. This may lead one to ask what a horse must do to earn this special trust. The best way I can answer that question is by describing a certain horse in my life. He is a bay, Arabian gelding named Time Zone+//. Around the barn he is known as Taz. This horse is now 21 years old and has proven himself to be an amazing show horse. He has won two national championships and 17 national top tens!
To simply say that Taz is a good teacher would not even begin to give him the credit he deserves. He has taught riders of all ages and levels of experience something about riding. Whether it is posting, headsets, or leg yields, Taz does it all and he does it with extraordinary patience. He reminds me of a gentle, old grandparent teaching their grandchild one of life's lessons. Taz is also one of the most reliable horses I know. If you are a person who is nervous before showing, then it is very comforting to know that Taz will take care of you. I can personally attest to this because I did my first dressage test on this horse. Because horses can sense when their riders are tense, I am sure that if I had been riding any other horse it would have been a total disaster!
You can always trust Taz to do his best. He is an extremely hard-working horse and he shows this by trying to please you and do what you ask when you ride him. He has arthritis but that doesn't stop him. There are probably days when his joints hurt him, but he still does things to the best of his ability and the only way you can tell is because he feels off. The pain caused by his arthritis changes neither his willingness to work nor his sweet nature. Taz is definitely one of a kind!
Mary Kate Fahy, 15, Louisville, Kentucky
November
CHF SILVER DANCER
My name is Nikki Burns and I am 14 years old. I live in Missouri and I am horse crazy! I have been around horses all my life. In 1994 my family went to a horse auction and that's when we bought CHF Silver Dancer. Dancer, as we called him, had been abused and was thin, but my sister took care of him and got him to trust people again. She took him to college in Kentucky with her, showed him in hunter pleasure, and did a little jumping with him. Eventually, she started barrel racing with a different horse.
At that time I was looking for a horse to jump, so my sister brought Dancer home for me. I took him to my trainer's and started to retrain him to jump. We started going to small fun shows, and eventually we worked our way up to class A shows. We never made it to Youth Nationals, but the Missouri AHA show was just great. At the end of that show I thought we were on top of the world. I believed he would jump over the moon if I asked him!
Dancer was my best friend. If I needed to cry I could cry on his shoulder. He was there for me through the good times and the bad. He would nicker to me every morning when I walked into the barn. In the afternoons, I would go into his stall, lay down with him, and take a nap.
Dancer died on August 8th this year. He colicked and, since he was only given a 40% chance of living through surgery, I made the choice to put him down. I wanted him to be alive and ok but at the same time I didn't want him to have to feel pain any longer. I wanted to know he and I could only have memories of all the fun we had together.
Dancer was a good horse and a great best friend. That's why I think Dancer should be Horse of the Month- he deserves it for being my best friend and having so much trust in me.
Nikki Burns, 14, Silex, Missouri
October
NAZREENS QUEST
My horse Nazreens Quest (Pride) deserves to be Horse of the Month. My name is Jessica Decker. I am 15 years old and I've had a horse my whole life.
About two weeks after I'd had to put my previous horse down, I talked to our family friend, Lori. We ride with Lori and she found many horses for me to look at, but none of them were the right one for me. Then, Lori told us about an 18 year old Arabian mare, a granddaughter of Kemosabi. I knew I had to go look at her!
When we saw Pride, she was in the field grazing. She was beautiful with her tiny dished face and her long black mane. My dad asked if I wanted her and I said yes with a smile on my face. It was still hard for me to let go of my old horse and have a new one come into my life. It took some time but now I love Pride more than anything in the world!
On April 9th, 2006, Pride became very sick. She had colic and was impacted, so we took her to the New Bolton Vet Center. The next day things didn't look good and we were close to putting her down. I was devastated. But when we arrived at the clinic, she was starting to show improvements. Pride got so much better so quickly that the next day she came home! I watched her very closely and did everything the vet said to do.
I've had Pride for more than a year now. She's the best horse ever! She always greets me when I go down to the barn. We trail ride, show in English classes, and we're also in 4-H. Pride has done so much for me, and she really deserves to be Horse of the Month.
Jessica Decker, 15, Atglen, Pennsylvania
September
FELICITY EWA
Several years ago, I met Felicity EWA, who was then a 5 year old Arabian mare. I remember first thinking how gorgeous she was. She just stood in her pasture, but I knew there was something special about her. I just KNEW it!
My first ride on Felicity was less than perfect, though. I vividly remember eagerly sitting in that big western saddle, asking for a trot… and she took off with me in the wet sand. For some reason, I didn't care and I wanted her even more. She was beautiful, and many people in my barn knew her. My trainer even trained her as a 3 year old, which I think is so cool!
During our second ride, I hopped up on her, happy as a clam. Again, I asked for a walk, and Felicity was fine. A trot was another story- she bucked! That memory still makes me laugh to this day. She has so much pizzazz, I never thought a horse of her tiny size could have so much attitude.
Our third ride shook my confidence for a long time. I fell off, and learned I wasn't invincible! I wasn't hurt, but I couldn't believe that my stunning Arabian mare, whom I considered my baby, could throw me! I didn't ride her for a long time, but my mom and trainer would ride her while I watched from the back of my dead-broke senior Arabian.
Days turned to weeks, weeks to months, and months to three years. Then, something told me we would be better. I had a gut feeling the time was right, and I wanted to ride her bareback. My mom was worried something would hurt my confidence again. But Felicity was perfect. I was able to walk, trot, and even canter her bareback! That ride assured me things were better.
Now, I hop on Felicity all the time knowing we're a team. This past weekend I even took her to a hunter show, and we didn't do half bad. We even won our under saddle equitation class! I cannot wait to see what our future has in store for us!
I believe that my Felicity deserves to be Horse of the Month for these reasons and countless others. I think it's amazing that in three years she was able to go from a green broke horse to something amazing! Today, I jump on her bareback without a second thought. Of course, she still believes our neighbor's dog wants to eat her for dinner, but when loving someone, you must love everything about them.
I just have to laugh at Felicity. I love everything about her: all her pizzazz, all her energy, but most of all, her heart of pure gold. Goodbye stereotypical crazy Arabian. Hello, trusted best friend, my dreams, my hopes, my aspirations!
Emily Soyka, 15, Summerville, South Carolina
August
MAGIC IBN BASHON
Magic Ibn Bashon, or "Stormy," as we like to call him, is a 15.1h, 15 year old beautiful chestnut Arabian gelding who is worthy of being honored as Horse of the Month.
When I first met this horse four years ago, he was hard to handle. My instructor had suggested that I take Stormy into the show ring. My first thought was, "No way," but despite my fears I decided to give him a chance. That was the best decision I've ever made! After a year of riding him, I had gained his trust and he earned mine. Now Stormy is one of the calmest and will-try-hard-for-anything horses you've ever seen.
Riding Stormy wasn't the only challenge to overcome, though. When we were a solid team and ready for the show ring, we met a new challenge. Here in the Idaho ranching country, Quarter Horses are usually the favorite breed. My Arabian horse was not always warmly welcomed into the open breed local shows. However, this biased environment was not enough to scare us away from the shows. Stormy and I were determined to change these people's minds and show them how great Arabian horses can be!
Although at first it seemed that every judge turned his head away from us when we entered the ring, it didn't take too long for their heads to come back to us! They couldn't help looking at this beautiful horse and the amazing things he could do in in-hand, western, and English classes. Before we knew it, we were winning ribbons and trophies galore in a non-Arabian world. Maybe not all of them have converted to Arabian horse enthusiasts, but Stormy and I did succeed in opening their minds to accept that "our" breed can do as much as "their" breed.
Stormy is a truly amazing horse, and this horse officially became mine when he was given to me for Christmas last year. From that first ride so long ago, he has become my best friend. I love this horse with all my heart and I am very proud of his determination and hard work. He gave me the drive to keep riding and showing. I appreciate how Stormy will always try his best for me no matter what. I hope he appreciates my best efforts to make him feel like the greatest horse in the world, because he always will be to me!
Andrea Tomlinson, 18, Twin Falls, Idaho
July
VW Desert Knight
VW Desert Knight, or Desert, has been a key part of my life for two years now. I had owned and shown Arabian and Half-Arabian horses since I was four years old, and was set on staying in the breed all my life. At the Illinois Horse Fair in March of 2004, I first fell in love with Desert's black silhouette. Maybe it was because of the notorious Black Stallion series, or maybe it was because everyone dreams of owning a beautiful black Arabian horse. In any event, my heart was set on Desert!
By the end of the day, though, Desert had been sold and all my hopes and dreams were crushed. My birthday was the next week and we went to look at a horse trailer at a friend's stable. We then strolled through the barn and standing there, waiting for me, was the illustrious VW Desert Knight! My heart soared when I realized he had been bought for me!!!
That summer I began to show Desert in western and hunter pleasure. We showed at local Arabian shows as well as 4-H. Our first year together, we brought home over 40 ribbons, 9 trophies, and the title of Reserve Champion High Point for Otter Creek Saddle Club. Even better, the more Desert and I got to know each other, the more potential I could see.
The following winter we sent Desert into training with Randy Sullivan. Randy worked wonders with Desert and we flew through our best show season yet! We brought home 62 ribbons, 15 trophies, and Champion High Point for Otter Creek Saddle Club, as well as Reserve Champion High Point for the Arab, Inc club.
To make everything jubilant, we were selected to represent our breed at the Illinois Horse Fair with the Arab, Inc club in March of 2006! It was an amazing time of learning, experience, and of course fun! Desert and I plan to keep showing and look forward to what we hope will be another great season. Desert and I have formed an amazing bond and he has never let me down. Desert is an exceptional horse and deserves to be a renowned Horse of the Month!
Hannah Ernst, 18, Palmyra, Illinois
June
KYRIE ELEISON FF
My name is Auriel Overall. My riding experience began when I was about six years old in a town called Darwin, located in the Northern Territory of Australia. I attended day camps at a riding center, and that was the most memorable experience of my life! We would have not only riding in the ring, but would also jump barrels, go on trail rides to the jungle, and gallop through mud flats filled with water. We would even swim with the horses in the dams on the property and double up bareback brideless.
When I turned ten years old, a woman gave me a small Arabian horse named Amethyst. She was one of the best things that ever happened to me! I loved her with all my heart and cared for her the best I could. Then a terrible day came: my parents told me I would have to pack up all my belongings, say goodbye to my friends, and give up Amethyst. I was devastated. We were moving to America. I was devastated. That was the hardest thing I have had to do with my entire life.
After we had been in America for a few months (and I'd been dying to ride the whole time!), things changed for the better. I had become friends with a few people at my school who were part of the 4-H club Silver Spurs, and they encouraged me to join their club. My mom took me to the barn where the club meets and I began taking lessons. Not long after that, I began going to Arabian shows just to help out my friends. This is where I met the fantastic horse trainer, Scott Scheyli. One day I went to my friend's lesson to watch her ride, but when I got there Scott asked me if I'd like to ride. I said sure! Scott had me ride his Half-Arabian Country English horse, Vans So Timely, or Vanna. I began to ride and everything just clicked. I knew that was the type of riding I fit with, and what I really needed to be doing. I started showing Vanna and eventually my riding caught the eye of Marsha Thomas, who owned a horse named Kyrie Eleison FF, or Kyrie.
One day Scott told me Marsha wanted me to show Kyrie at Youth Nationals. I was very happy and of course said yes! I began taking lessons on her and got to know her quickly. When we got to Youth Nationals, the experience was amazing! I have never been there before and it was awesome. We rode in several classes and had good rides, but didn't make our cuts. In our Country English Pleasure class, Kyrie was a beautiful young horse competing against the best of the best and really shining. She was amazing! Finally, the class was over and it came down to who would make the next cut. When I heard the announcer call my number, I was so excited! We'd made our cut!
Just before the second go for our Country English Pleasure class, we were all over at the showmanship ring watching my fellow riders compete. The worst thing happened- I missed my class!!! It was very upsetting. In the end, though, I realized how wonderful it was that Kyrie and I had gotten as far as we had. I am so thankful to Scott and Marsha for the wonderful opportunities and the ability to show this beautiful horse, and my wish is to recognize her and the potential she still has!
Auriel Overall-Isaman, 15, Tucson, Arizona
May
Sammy/
Nope, he's not a show horse… Or a young horse, for that matter. He is, however, my best friend. His name is Sammy and he is a 33 year old Morab, and a real sweetheart. My story with Sammy began when my aunts, Heather and Kathy, went out in search of their lifelong dream: to own a horse. One day their search ended as they came home with two horses in the back of a horse trailer! I was so excited! One of the horses in the trailer was a gelding named Sammy, and the other a mare named Savor. Being such a big horse fan, I wanted to grab a horse right out of the trailer and hop right on its back… that didn't happen. Instead, my aunts brought their new horses in the barn and I fell in love!
Savor was a gorgeous mare, but there was something about Sammy that I really fell in love with. This worked out great because my cousin, Brittany (another horse lover), fell in love with Savor. From then on, Brittany and I were not only cousins but also "barn buddies." I called Sammy mine and she called Savor hers. After a while, I was able to ride Sammy. I was so excited and felt he was the horse I had dreamed about! From then on, Sammy and I were the best of friends!
As time passed I was getting older and started going to a barn called Spring Time Stables. This was really fun and gave me a lot of freedom. Even after I began leasing another Half-Arabian at the stable, I still didn't forget about Sammy. I spent hours grooming him and hanging around the barn. Even though things had changed, a lot hadn't because we were still the best of friends. One day I worked up the courage to ask my aunt if I could ride him down the street by myself for a little bonding time. She said yes. So ever since, I've been taking him for little bareback rides.
One day, Sammy got sick and he started having trouble getting up. He is better now, though, and has been holding his own. I can still take him on little bareback walks but not as much as we used to. He is very old and I feel it's almost time for him to go.
I think Sammy deserves to be Horse of the Month because he is just a trooper. I believe he has been holding on to his life for me. I love him so much and I just know that if he could understand, it would mean a lot to him to be recognized in this tribute. He would feel good that people would care about him so much. Sammy, I love you with all my heart, so don't ever forget that!
Melanie Hamel, 13, Fremont, New Hampshire
April
MAF SILVERMIRACLE++/
MAF Silvermiracle++/, or "Prissy," should be Horse of the Month because she has touched so many lives. Prissy is a one of a kind. She loves shows, getting out at the barn, eating grass, and just giving kisses to anyone who will take them! Prissy does anything and everything I ask of her, and more. She is a very hard worker and she's very special to so many people, including me.
Prissy shows in Sport Horse In-Hand, Sport Horse Under Saddle, Dressage, and Hunter Pleasure. Janet Summers is Prissy's owner, and she loves Prissy to death! Luckily for me, I have been able to ride and show this special mare for two years now. In 2005, Prissy earned two Top Fives and a Championship at the Region 5 Championship. At Sport Horse Nationals we went Top Ten in Sport Horse In-Hand Mares. Since it was my first year of showing Prissy, I would say that's great!
Prissy's mother died giving birth to her, so for several months Prissy was raised in a house and bottle-fed. Because of that, she thinks of herself as a human- not a horse. It's funny!
Prissy is right, though she isn't just a horse, she's my best friend. I can count on her because she knows when I'm upset or happy. I can still remember the look on her face in 2005 at Sport Horse Nationals. It was as if she knew she had earned a Top Ten! I also remember turning around and seeing Janet crying with happiness. That's a memory I know Prissy and I will never forget. All of this is why I think MAF Silvermiracle++/ deserves to be Horse of the Month.
Brittany Carr, 15, Petersburg, Virginia
March
MISS NELLIE
Miss Nellie, or "Nellie," likes to give kisses and eat candy. She is a 19 year old Arabian mare. I think Nellie should be Horse of the Month because she is always trying to do her best. Whether on a trail ride or in the show ring, Nellie always has a positive attitude. I think Nellie should be recognized as Horse of the Month because she is very careful, and keeps me safe wherever we are. I think Nellie deserves to be Horse of the Month because of all the things she's done for me. And I love her.
Kelsey Olsen, 11, Othello, Washington
February
KILLARNEY LASS
I think Killarney Lass, or Lassi, should be Horse of the Month. First of all, because of all the things she’s done for me. When she walks in the ring it’s like she says “Let’s win this one for you, Taylor!” I’m so proud of her because it was my first year showing last year,and everywhere we went she did everything she could to win first, second, or Grand Champion (and third sometimes)! But I really want to say “This win is for you, Lassi” by awarding her Horse of the Month.
I also think Lassi deserves Horse of the Month because she learned to love people. For all Lassi has done, I think she deserves more fame!
Taylor Kieft, 11, Muskegon, Michigan
January
JAMEL BINT HOVDA
Meet Jamel Bint Hovda. Jamel is a 14.2 h., 19 year old chestnut Half-Arabian mare.
I met Jamel four years ago. I was looking for a reasonably priced horse that was trained for barrel racing and pole bending. My favorite breed had always been the Arabian, but most rodeo horses are Quarter Horses so when my mom found the ad for a 15 year old Half-Arabian mare I was thrilled! She was trained for barrels, poles, and goat-tying. The price was even right in my range!
My Mom and I traveled from Idaho to Montana to see Jamel, and as soon as I saw her I fell in love. I rode her and decided that I wanted to buy her. Mom gave them the check and we went home.
As soon as we got home, unfortunately problems set in. See, in Jamel's earlier life she had been abused. She didn't know and trust me so she was scared a lot of the time. I just kept working with her, though, and she did learn to trust me! We could then start learning how to barrel race and pole bend.
Since then Jamel has carried me to win three barrel racing belt buckles, two pole bending buckles, one All-Around Cowgirl buckle and the 2004 Cambridge Rodeo Queen title and buckle! I still do get teased when I go to rodeos because I ride a Half-Arabian horse. But I just smile and then take my turn in the arena. By the time I am done nobody teases me! Even if we don't win, they can all see that Arabians CAN rodeo.
Jamel Bint Hovda deserves to be the Horse of the Month. She tries her guts out in a sport were there are very few Arabian athletes- and sometimes she even wins!
Brittany Whitlatch, 16, Cambridge, Idaho
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